


Like All Wild Things-

by Kayoi1234



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Blanket Permission, Character Study, Gen, I love you Wild, Introspection, Linked Universe, Linked Universe AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 16:31:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18154301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayoi1234/pseuds/Kayoi1234
Summary: Wild will always return home.(A study into Wild, and returning to past roots. Or something like that anyway.)





	Like All Wild Things-

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for Jojo56830's Linked Universe, which honestly, is one of the greatest things I have seen in the history of my existence I love it to bits, I and love Wild, so I wrote a thing. 
> 
> I've played Breath of the Wild, and that game has left me with a lot of emotions. 
> 
> You can check out the au [here!](https://linkeduniverse.tumblr.com/)

The one thing that sets Wild’s Hyrule apart from everyone else is that it's empty.

Just…empty. There’s nothing for miles, only the occasional stable or settlement if you’re lucky. But other than that, it’s just expanses of wilderness that go on forever and ever, ever, the expanses of grass and sand and sea and forest that roll on and on forever and ever, no end in sight.

But for Wild, this is _home_. This is what runs in his veins, this is what he lives off, this is what is ingrained into his skin like the scars that mar his body. This is his blood, his _soul_ , this is what he had fought for, this is what _home_ feels like to him.

He was a solider once, because of course he was, but like all wild things, he will always return home.

\---

Wild knows the shift between the two Hyrules before they find any landmarks. He knows, because his Hyrule curls around him, grass dancing in the breeze, the wind ruffling his hair, blowing his hood back. He knows, because the ground is the kind of spongy he is all too familiar with, the animals stare at him and do not bolt away. He knows because the air feels cleaner than the Hyrules of the others, because deep down, instinctively, he _knows_.

The sun is bright. The rays are warm. Wild looks up at the sky, and he lets the feeling of _Welcome Home_ wrap him in it’s embrace, because he never served a goddess, he had only served the land. “Oh.” He mutters, staring at the sky, a small smile playing across his features. “ _Oh.”_

“Hey Wild! You gonna catch up or?” Someone yells, and Wild looks to see Legend, standing there with his hands cupped around his mouth, staring at him. “We’re gonna leave you behind you know?”

Wild chuckles, and he jogs up to them. “Sorry, it’s just…it’s good to be home.”

Twilight throws a questioning look over his shoulder, and Wild grins.

“This,” Wild begins, feeling giddy. This is his _home_. “This is the Great Plateau, north of the Forest of Spirits.”

“Wait, Great Plateau?” Sky asks, and looks around, just beginning to see how overtaken the place is with nature.

“Yeah.” Wild says, walking ahead, pulling out his Sheikah Slate, opening the map and letting the others crowd around him. He points to the yellow arrow. “That’s where we are.” His finger traces its way to the large rectangular building near the centre. “That’s the Temple of Time, or, what’s left of it anyway.”. He continues, stopping at a small blue icon. “That’s the Great Plateau Tower. And that…” Wild trails off, looking at the rounded blue symbol on the top of a hill. “That’s the Shrine of Resurrection.”

Twilight looks at Wild. “Is that where…”

Wild nods. Twilight looks back at the map. Wind stares at the map for a minute and says “Can we go there? The shrine I mean.”

Wild’s breath hitches for a moment, but his nerves steel, and he says “Yeah. Let’s go see.”

And with that, Wild puts the Sheikah Slate back and walks forward, the others following behind.

\---

When they reach the Temple of Time, Wild hears Time whisper _“Oh.”_

Twilight turns to look at Time, watching him. “You alright there Time?”

Time takes in a shaky breath. “Yes. I’m fine. Just…didn’t expect it to be so…”

“Rundown?” Legend suggests, arms crossed.

“Yes. That’s it.”

Wild looks at the temple, remembering the goddess statue that sleeps within the temple and he whispers “We don’t have to go.”

Time watches Wild and says “Thank you.”

They keep walking, Wild jumping up and picking an apple from a tree, savouring the sweetness of the fruit as they continue their way up.

\---

When they reach the shine atop the hill, Hyrule says “It looks rather…small.”

Wild shrugs, and walks in, jumping down the small drop. It’s been ages since he last step foot into this place, and he can vaguely hear the others drop down, their feet making splashes into the water. Wild walks forward, climbing the half ruined steps until he sees it.

The chamber.

It’s how he left it, empty, cold, dark. The basin in the centre is still empty. The lines on the side still glow blue.

Twilight places a hand on Wild’s shoulder, and asks, tone quiet, “Are you alright?” Wild doesn’t answer as he watches Warriors crouches next to the basin, running a finger along the bottom. Wind is inspecting the pedestal where the Sheikah Slate used to be with Four. Hyrule hangs back, staring at the ceiling in open mouthed wonder. Legend traces the patterns around the walls with his hands, lightly ghosting over the blue lines.

Time steps next to Wild, his presence a stark contrast to the shrine. Wild is aware he’s only one who doesn’t wear the classic green the others wear (Wind wears blue now, but he wore green on his adventure through his version of Hyrule) He knows he’s the only one who wanders a Hyrule that’s permanently in ruins. (Time wandered a Castle Town that was in disrepair, but it came back. Wind’s had sunken, but it wasn’t _his_ fault.) He knows he’s the one who doesn’t remember anything from their past.

The armour he got for completing all the shrines feels heavier now.

(He stuffed it at the bottom of his pack, not sure if he is _worthy_ to be wearing it. Wild is never really sure of a lot of things anymore.)

Twilight squeezes his shoulder, and looks at him with a face that said _you are worthy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise._

Wild looks at all these versions of _him_  (Yet not _him_ ) and he thinks _“They all defeated Ganon without taking a 100 years to sleep. But I did, so why am I worthy?”_

Then he remembers. _“Oh.”_ He thinks, and he lets the faintest simile fall on his face, feeling tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. _“Oh that’s right, I managed to survive despite it.”_

\---

When they leave the shrine, Wild takes breath of air, and he looks out over the entirety of Hyrule. He sees Hyrule Castle in the distance, beginning its long journey to repair. He sees Death Mountain, no longer in any danger to erupt. He sees the shrines, glowing a bright blue.

He remembers feeling so small when he left that shrine after a 100 years of slumber. The bad kind of small, the suffocating kind, the kind where you stare out and think _oh_ , because the world is oh so very large and you are so very small, and that made you weak in the knees.

But now, Wild looks over the entirety of Hyrule, feeling the wild settle into his skin like an old friend. He had new friends too, even though they’re technically him but does it really matter? He still feels small, that was inevitable,  but it’s the comforting kind of small, the kind that ruffles your hair and tells you that you belong to this world just like every other living being in this world.

Wild takes a deep breath of the wild air that surrounds him, lets himself return the place that had claimed him before he was born, and turns to go catch up to everyone else.  

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr [here](https://pkmn-trainer44.tumblr.com/) and [here!](https://kayoiwritingarchivies.tumblr.com/)


End file.
